Robert Merrill’s youthful dream of being associated with major league baseball became a reality when the New York Yankees asked him to sing the National Anthem at the opening of their season games in 1967.
He continued to perform in person at all of the important play off and World Series games. When George Steinbrenner acquired the team, he introduced himself to Merrill after a Metropolitan Opera Company performance in Cleveland, Ohio, saying "I am George Steinbrenner, the new owner of the New York Yankees, and you are my singer."
Merrill's voice became a Yankee tradition and he was thought of as the team's good luck charm. He recorded the ‘National Anthem,’ ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’ ‘God Bless America’ and ‘Oh Canada’ for use in games when Merrill was not available to perform in person.
Steinbrenner gave Merrill his own Yankee uniform and an official Yankee number, “1 1/2” (The only such number in baseball). Merrill proudly wore his uniform at Yankee old timers games. He even took batting practice with the players.
His dream had come true! The Yankees presented him with the New York Yankees Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
“I credit Robert Merrill for my interest in Opera. In High School, I bought my first Operatic recording, and he was on it. It was Toscanini’s La Traviata. After that, I went to performances frequently at the Met. I can’t even tally how many times I have seen him perform at the Met. He was a hero of mine, like Yogi Berra! While I was Mayor of New York City, I had him over to Gracie Mansion four times. It was beautiful to watch him perform. He was a great performer, a great New Yorker and a great human being! I have him in my heart and in my memories. Thanks to his many recordings I can still hear him.”
Rudolf Giuliani
“I knew Robert Merrill long before I actually met him at Yankees Stadium. I was an opera fan. Once Bob brought those wonderful pipes over to the Yankees’s games, he became a Yankee member and part of Yankee history.”
Joe Torre